New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has filed a police complaint against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his alleged hate speech at an election rally in Assam.
The complaint was filed by BJP Assam spokesperson and social media in-charge, Ranjib Kumar Sarmah, at Guwahati’s Basistha police station, in which Kharge is accused of making inflammatory and derogatory remarks during his address in Sribhumi district.
Later, the BJP announced that it had filed a complaint with the Election Commission as well. “This is not mere political rhetoric but a calculated and reckless appeal that is capable of inciting hatred, disturbing public tranquility, an potentially provoking violence between communities,” the BJP wrote in its complaint.
Kharge reportedly compared the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the BJP to a poisonous snake. “If a poisonous snake is passing by you, (in such a case) even Quran permits interrupting namaz to kill a poisonous snake,” he said purportedly.
Elections in Assam are scheduled 9 April, with vote counting set for 4 May. The BJP is hoping to retain power for a third consecutive term, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pitted against Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi.
“Mallikarjun Kharge in a political address at Nilambazer under the district of Sribhumi, Assam makes a derogatory statements describing the ideology of Bharatiya Janata Party and RSS is ‘poisonous’ for the society and labelling the organisations as ‘poisonous snake’ and calling for eliminating the Bharatiya Janata Party. This statement is hurting all the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party,” reads the complaint filed by the BJP Assam spokesperson.
Such statements, it says, are derogatory and have hurt the sentiments of BJP members. It also accuses Kharge of attempting to promote enmity between groups and potentially disturbing public peace and communal harmony in the state.
“Mr Kharge is willing to promote enmity and wants to breach public peace and harmony in our society. The statement may lead to communal clashes between the indigenous communities of Assam.”
Sarmah requested the police to take legal action against “the maker of the statement i.e. Mr Kharge as expeditiously as possible.”
BJP MP Ravishanker Prasad also accused Kharge of “blatantly and unabashedly sought to stoke communal fire by pandering to ugly, religious sentiments of Muslim community”.
Alok Kumar, chief of Sangh affiliate Vishva Hindu Parishad, reacted sharply to Kharge’s alleged comments. “Openly inciting violence, sowing animosity between Hindus and Muslims,” the VHP head said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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